Hydrogen atom abstraction

About: Hydrogen atom abstraction is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 7059 publications have been published within this topic receiving 151781 citations.

Excited-state properties of Escherichia coli DNA photolyase in the picosecond to millisecond time scale.

Abstract: Escherichia coli DNA photolyase contains a stable flavin radical that is readily photoreduced in the presence of added electron donors. Picosecond, nanosecond, and conventional flash photolysis technique have been employed to investigate the events leading to photoreduction from 40 ps to tens of milliseconds following flash excitation. Direct light absorption by the flavin radical produces the first excited doublet state which undergoes rapid (within 100 ps) intersystem crossing to yield the lowest excited quartet (n pi*) state. In contrast, light absorption by the folate chromophore produces a new intermediate state via interaction of the folate excited singlet state with the ground-state flavin radical, leading to an enhanced yield of the excited radical doublet state and hence quartet state. Subsequent reaction of the excited quartet state involves hydrogen atom abstraction from a tryptophan residue. Secondary electron transfer from added electron donors occurs to the oxidized tryptophan radical with rate constants ranging from 10(4) (dithiothreitol) to 4 x 10(6) M-1 s-1 (n-propyl gallate). The low value of the latter rate compared to reduction of the tryptophan radical in lysozyme suggests that the reactive tryptophan is highly buried in photolyase. A redox potential diagram has been constructed for the ground and excited states involved. It is concluded that the one-electron reduction potential of the excited quartet state of the flavin radical must be at least 1.23 V more positive than the ground state, in agreement with the value of delta E greater than 1.77 V calculated from spectroscopic data.

Ab Initio Group Contribution Method for Activation Energies of Hydrogen Abstraction Reactions

Abstract: The group contribution method for activation energies is applied to hydrogen abstraction reactions. To this end an ab initio database was constructed, which consisted of activation energies calculated with the ab initio CBS-QB3 method for a limited set of well-chosen homologous reactions. CBS-QB3 is shown to predict reaction rate coefficients within a factor of 2-4 and Arrhenius activation energies within 3-5 kJ mol(-1) of experimental data. Activation energies in the set of homologous reactions vary over 156 kJ mol(-1) with the structure of the abstracting radical and over 94 kJ mol(-1) with the structure of the abstracted hydrocarbon. The parameters required for the group contribution method, the so-called standard activation group additivity values, were determined from this database. To test the accuracy of the group contribution method, a large set of 88 additional activation energies were calculated from first principles and compared with the predictions from the group contribution method. It was found that the group contribution method yields accurate activation energies for hydrogen-transfer reactions between hydrogen molecules, alkylic hydrocarbons, and vinylic hydrocarbons, with the largest deviations being less than 6 kJ mol(-1). For reactions between allylic and propargylic hydrocarbons, the transition state is believed to be stabilized by resonance effects, thus requiring the introduction of an appropriate correction term to obtain a reliable prediction of the activation energy for this subclass of hydrogen abstraction reactions.

Radical trans-Hydroboration of Alkynes with N-Heterocyclic Carbene Boranes.

Abstract: Hydroboration of internal alkynes with N-heterocyclic carbene boranes (NHC-boranes) occurs to provide stable NHC (E)-alkenylboranes upon thermolysis in the presence of di-tert-butyl peroxide. The E isomer results from an unusual trans-hydroboration, and the E/Z selectivity is typically high (90:10 or greater). Evidence suggests that this hydroboration occurs by a radical-chain reaction involving addition of an NHC-boryl radical to an alkyne to give a β-NHC-borylalkenyl radical. Ensuing hydrogen abstraction from the starting NHC-borane provides the product and returns the starting NHC-boryl radical. Experiments suggest that the observed trans-selectivity results from kinetic control in the hydrogen-transfer reaction.

The photochemistry of human retinal lipofuscin as studied by EPR.

Abstract: Fluorescent material generated in the human retina accumulates within lipofuscin (HLF) granules of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) during aging. We have been investigating the possible light-induced contribution of these fluorophores to various diseases including age-related macular degeneration. Our studies have shown that some of the fluorescent components of HLF are products of the reaction of retinaldehyde with ethanolamine and that synthetic mixtures of this reaction can serve as a useful model for photophysical studies. Previous research by us has demonstrated that irradiation of either natural or synthetic lipofuscin resulted in the formation of a triplet state and possibly a free radical. Here EPR studies were performed to verify the formation of that radical. The UV irradiation of either synthetic or natural human retinal lipofuscin extracts in oxygen-free methanol led to the formation of a 5,5-dimethylpyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) spin-trapped carbon-centered radical resulting from either hydrogen atom or electron abstraction from solvent molecules. In the presence of oxygen superoxide was formed, which was observed as a DMPO adduct. It is concluded that certain components of the chloroform-soluble fluorophores of human RPE lipofuscin granules and the fluorescent reaction products of retinaldehyde and ethanolamine are photophysically similar but not the same. Electron or hydrogen abstraction from a substrate by these fluorophores in vivo and the resulting radical products may contribute to the age-related decline of RPE function and blue light damage in the retina.